The latest addition to my collection of Arabic Military Dictionaries and Word Lists, from the Aden Protectorate Levies.

The collection includes an Arab Legion English/Arabic dictionary from the Library of Congress and my own Union Defence Force word list that I carried in the breast pocket of my shirt during my tour with the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces. And just for fun a Soviet Navy Russian/Arabic word list!

Question for you Eddie. Knowing there is "literal arabic" spoken and different dialects spoken in the different middle-eastern countries.....how did you manage to speak the local linguo with the right accent....????

Jo

__________________Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
"There truly exists but one perfect order: that of cemeteries. The dead never complain and they enjoy their equality in silence." -
The greatest problem about old age is the fear that it may go on too long.
A.J.P.Taylor

Question for you Eddie. Knowing there is "literal arabic" spoken and different dialects spoken in the different middle-eastern countries.....how did you manage to speak the local linguo with the right accent....????

Jo

Arabic is a very fluid language which is spoken between Malaya and Morocco and many other places in-between. Lots of dialects and accents.

What is taught in western language schools is Modern Standard Arabic. My experience is that MSA is incomprehensible to most native Arabs. Educated people may well understand it but don't use it.

To get the pronunciations right you need to practice with a local. The problem is that they will also want to practice the English with you. However the reaction you get when you master even a few phrases is worth all the effort because people will love you for it!

An example; the word for army varies across Arabia, in one place its Jaysh with a sof(ish) J, in another its Gaysh with a guttural G.

But its all good fun - unless you are struggling to say "Don't shoot I'm a friend" on a pitch black night!

__________________Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
"There truly exists but one perfect order: that of cemeteries. The dead never complain and they enjoy their equality in silence." -
The greatest problem about old age is the fear that it may go on too long.
A.J.P.Taylor

But its all good fun - unless you are struggling to say "Don't shoot I'm a friend" on a pitch black night!

In Omani colloquial that would be "la ramee ana sidiq", but in MSA it might be "la tutliq alnaar 'ana sadiq" ... so you'd better check first which version the sentry speaks ... hadn't you! Remembering that even on exercise the sentries had a live round up the spout.

Better still try to remember the password. Which the Omanis founds so difficult that we used a number code. So if tonight's code is 6 and the sentry taps his magazine twice you tap yours four times. Which was fine with the gunners who could all add up but I am not so sure about the infantry.